Film holder



Dec. 18, 1951 D ALBERT 2,579,287

FILM HOLDER Filed Jan. 15, 1949 @fi T 12 i I ,20 Fig].

19 v 19 14 26 22 fi.

y 24. 25 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILM HOLDER iJanieiA. Albert, Richmond Hill, N. Y.

Application January 15, 1949, Serial No. 71,155

3 Claims.

This invention relates to film holders and in particular to one in whichfilm holding clips are mounted for touch manipulation.

In the handling of films in a dark room where they are developed, washedand inspected as well as dried, as in the case of X-ray films theoperator must do practically all of themounting of the films andremoving them with respect to a holder frame by the sense of touch andin order to provide a holder of the character that will be found mostuseful, it is necessary to coordinate the action of the clips with atensioning means on the frame of the holder so that the films may bequickly mounted and held taut in the frame and to provide a holder inwhich films or" varying size may be accommodated without adjustment ofany of the parts of the holder.

Further objects of the invention are to provide clips structures thatlend themselves to mounting of the films therein in such a manner thatthey can be quickly and easily detached from the holder by a tuggingoperation without in any way damaging the film; to provide clipstructures that guide the film edges into place and limit the movementthereof with respect to the frame and to provide a holder and clipstructure that is simple to make, is easy to operate by touch or feeland one which lends itself to an easy and rapid manipulation in theprocessing of the large quantities of films that are processed in a busylaboratory.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a holder in which the filmwill be automatically squared and tensioned across diagonally oppositecorners thereof to prevent wrinkling in the drying operation; to providea mounting for the clips so that they can be manipulated with the handthat holds the frame and with a minimum amount of thumb pressure thatcan be gradually relieved to place tension on the film at the cornersthereof, and to carry out the objects set forth in my pendingapplication Serial No. 770,294, filed August 23, 1947, now abandoned,for Film Holder, and of which this application is a continuationin-part.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certainconstructions hereinafter described and then particularly pointed out inthe claims and a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a film holding frame showing a film mountedtherein for processing, one of the upper clips being shown in engagementwith the film,

Figure 2 is a greatly enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1showing the mounting of the clip,

Figure 2 is a side view of a modified form of clip mounting,

Figure 4 is a greatly enlarged section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3showing the mounting of the clip, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, iii indicates a frame or holderwhich consists of a top or support bar ii, into suitable openings inwhich are secured as by screws or rivets [2. the ends iii of the legs ii of a U-shaped carrier frame iii. The latter, along its bottom edge hassecured thereto, in any suitable manner spaced clips i6 located adjacentthe corners of the carrier frame in position to grip the lower edge of afilm ll so that the latter is held in coplanar relation with the frameand is thereby protected along its vertical edges when the holder isplaced in a developing tank.

Each of the legs 14 of the holder, which in this instance is made frommetal stock that is square in cross sectional shape, is provided nearthe upper end thereof with spaced stop pins. A lower stop pin 58supports a coiled spring i9 and the upper stop pin 20 limits the upwardmovement of a clip 2| under influence of the spring [9, the spring andthe clip being mounted on the leg.

The clips H5 and 2| are substantially similar in structure except thatthe clips 2! are formed to provide means for mounting the same on thelegs of the holder. Each of the clips (Figure 5) consists of a lower jawportion 22 shaped to provide an arcuate section 23 out of which ispunched a piercing prong 24 which is positioned at such an oblique anglewith respect to a film to be held, that the edge of the film will slideover the tip of the prong to limit against the edges of ears 25 formedintegrally with said jaw portion 22, and at opposite sides thereof. Theears serve as a trunnion for the projected stud ends 25 of the outer orupper jaw portion 21 which is shaped to provide a bulging or cylindricalsection which coacts with the arcuate section 23 of the lower jaw toguide the edge of the film into place in the clip without assistance onthe part of the operator. The cylindrical section 23 is provided with asuitable opening for receiving the end of the prong 24 and the section28 provides a finger pressure member that prevents the prong frompiercing the finger and at the same time serves to quickly and easilyforce the film over the end of the prong to be impaled thereon.

The material of the upper jaw 27 is extended :as at 29 and is spacedfrom the pivoted part of the jaw to allow passage of the free end of athin leaf spring 30 that is riveted or otherwise secured to the extendedportion or base 3! of the jaw portion 22. This extension 3! in the caseof the lower clips is directly soldered, riveted, screwed or otherwisesecured to the bottom run of the frame I5, while in the case of theupper clips is formed to provide a laterally extending arm 32terminating in a sleeve 33 that conforms in cross sectional shape to thelike shape of the leg of the frame l5. In Figure 1, the view isconsidered as looking at what might be the front of the frame forexample, and as seen in Figure 2, the arm 32 is aligned with the backedge or surface of the leg 24 so that the opening in the clip thatreceives the edge of the film is always maintained substantially midwayin the depth of the frame. Thus the film is held inside the frame andprotected.

In Figures 3 and 4, the clip is shown as being mounted on a holderframe, on a leg 35 thereof that is round in cross section. A pin 36holds one end of a spring 31 which presses against the lower end of acylindrical sleeve 38 formed integrally with the extension 39 projectinglaterally from the end 40 of a clip 4!, The latter is made otherwise inaccordance with the structure of the clips 16 and it as explained. Thesleeve 38 is slotted as at 42 to receive a pin d3 which is secured in hel 3 and imit t e e wi movement of the clip as well as preventing turningmovement of the clip about the leg. Thus the film receiving openingbetween the clip jawsis always held in coplanar relation to the legs oft fram a d the film ike s m unted o p tect the same. 7

, In a number of frames in present use, the clips are mounted on springarms which tension the film, but in the use of these in darkness thehands, and sleeves of the operators clothing, strikes these arms anddistorts them and the clips are not only hard to find, but do notsupport the film in coplanar relation to the frame for protection. Mymounting of the clips on the side legs of the holder provides for thelocation of a thumb blade which makes it possible for the operator togrip the bar I I with the hand and at the same time use the thumb of thesame hand to adjust the clips. Each of the upper movable clips is shapedto provide, in the sleeve 33 thereof, an outwardl extending tab adjacentthe upper end of the sleeve as at 45 so that pressure of the thumb issubstantially aligned with the resistance offered by the spring and theclip can be pushed down without causing the sleeve to have frictionalgripping effect on the leg as would be the case if the inner edge of theclip was pushed down. The clips 4| in the sleeved portions 38 thereofare also provided with the tabs 46 serving the same purpose. a I a Withthe mounting of the upper clips on the legs, they may be manipulatedindividually and by the springs associatedtherewith are individuallyadjustable under spring pressure to tension the film at each of theupper corners thereof I just enough to tauten the film and constantlyhold it smooth under pressure so that it can dry fiat and unwrinkled.When the film is dry it is removed by pulling the ends outwardly andbecause the clip prongs are disposed at the angle described, the hingedupper or outer jaws of the clips in yielding, allow the film to leavethe clips without dama e and with a minimum of effort on the part of theoperator.

My invention is not to be restricted to the precise details ofconstruction shown since various changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificingthe advantages to be derived from its use.

What I claim is:

1. In a film holder including a support bar and a substantially U-shapedframe suspended therefrom, a pair of fixed clips at the lower end of theframe for engagement with the lower end of 1a film, a pair of movableclips adjacent the upper end of the frame for engaging the upper end ofthe film, sleeve means extending from said upper clips and embracing thevertical legs of said frame for mounting the movable clips for slidingmovement parallel to and along the legs of the frame, spring means forurging the movable clips individually in a direction away from the fixedclips to hold a film therebetween under tension, means for preventingrotation of the movable clips with respect to the legs, a tab on eachsleeve engage able by the thumb of a hand gripping the support barwhereby each clip may be separately forced into engagement with theupper edge of the film, each clip being Shaped to provide upper andlower closed jaws hating contacting relatively yieldable arcuateportions constituting a guide for the edge of a film forcedtherebetween, one of the arcuate portions being punched to provide aprong extending obliquely into an opening in the other contactingarcua-te portion and upon which prong the film is impaled from which itcan be pulled by a tug on the film, and spring means for keeping thejaws closed.

2. A holder as set forth in claim 1, including ears on one of the jaws,means for pivoting the other jaw between said ears, an extension on thecared jaw for connecting the clip to said sleeve means and the ears ofsaid jaw constituting stops for limiting the movement of the edge of thefilm into said clips and over said prongs.

3. In a film holder including a support bar and a frame suspendedtherefrom presenting parallel.

vertical legs and a horizontal bottom portion, clips shaped to provideupper and lower closed jaws having contacting relatively yieldablearouate portions constituting a guide for the edge of a film forcedtherebetween, one of the arcuate portions being punched to provide aprong extending obliquely into an opening in the other contactingarcuate portion and upon which prong the film is impaled and from whichit can be pulled by a tug on the film, spring means for keeping thejawsyieldably closed, upper and lower pairs of clips mounted in theframe parallel to REFERENCES GITED The following references are ofrecord in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,666,895 Gollomb -I. Apr. 24,1928 1,854,931 Gollomb Apr. 19, 1932 2,130,010 Martin Nov. 14, 19392,299,779

Wolf Oct. 2'7, 1942

